We got to Six Flags America on the last day of our Virginia trip, and I already knew what this park was: A tall man’s nightmare. Three kinds of rides that tall people can’t ride are here! Intamin hyper, Flying coaster, SLC... Arrgh. Anyway, the day was hot and humid, and we were tired. Here goes...
The park was very small, and the layout was fairly straight forward. That is one plus. We went to S:ROS first, because I wanted to get on it before it broke down! ;) My brother had to sit out for this one.
Coaster #84- Superman: Ride of Steel. The trains weren’t as amazing as I had heard, but at least I didn’t get stapled. The lift hill was over before I knew it. The first drop delivered MASSIVE air in the back seat. A fast, low turn to the right, and over the first hill which was filled with some more of the most insane air ever. I was already impressed! The helix was rather annoying, because I really got black vision on it, even more than on Goliath, and that is just plain annoying, not fun. However, the next hill made up for it. The air on the third hill was ridiculous, violent, and totally unbelieveable. In the back seat I got air for the ENTIRE hill. From the bottom of one side to the other, I was not only out of my seat, but I was pushing against the bar as hard as possible. That air was unreal. Then the next helix, which has the pole that causes the maximum height limit. Here’s the annoying part: I don’t even think that pole is necessary. They could easily take it out, and then everyone could ride this thing. I really hope Intamin has fixed this problem... Anyway, the second helix was more fun because I could see for the whole thing. Then there was the hop to the right, delievering more insane air, and then two final bunny hops, again...you guessed it, filled with unbelievable air. If you like airtime, this thing will be your new favorite! I really appreciated this baby! 9.5/10
We then walked to a coaster my brother could ride.
Coaster #85- Wild One. This ride needs paint bad. The operators were so slow. The ride was fairly fun. In the back there was good air on the first drop, but the ride didn’t pick up until after the turnaround. The short hops and unexpected side turns were cool on the trip back, and the final helix was fun. The ride was smooth for such an old woodie. I liked this one, but it wasn’t as “out of control” as many people had said it was. 7/10.
The food was better than the food at PKD, basically what you’d expect from Six Flags,except there were no sit down restaurants. Everything was fast food.
Coaster #86- Roar. God bless GCI for putting a great ride in this park that everyone can ride. At least my brother got to experience one awesome ride here! The first drop twists so unexpectedly, and after that it’s full of great twists, and one airtime hill, and then some more twists sideways, and every which way! Definitely more rough than Roar at Marine World, and it didn’t have the cool element in which the arriving train goes over the departing train! However, the ride was just as impressive, and I found the air to be better
in the front. I love this coaster, and I really think GCI should be putting out more rides! 9.5/10.
The sea coaster was okay, but when they turn around the boat, it takes so long it’s not even funny. Plus the line moved so slow because the ride was so long! However, it had good theming for a Six Flags ride.
Coaster #87- Joker’s Jinx. I love Premier launched coasters! I also love the fact that their lines are always so short! True, my head did hit the restraint a lot, but it really was soft enough to not be painful. The three
inversions right after the launch are the coolest on any coaster. The turns are really fun, especially when you get so close to the ground! The final corkscrew is like the icing on the cake, as it is quite unexpected to first time riders, and it is just awesome. I love these things. 9/10.
Coaster #88- Batwing. They were only running one train, which made for an hour line, so my brother went off and did his own thing. This ride basically fixed most of Stealth’s few problems. The first being that once both stations are open, they will have three trains running, and capacity will be greater. The second is the twists at the end are much cooler and more comfortable, and the shortness issue is fixed with the addition of
a cool helix which gets close to the ground. My sister laughed the whole time, and she was kind of scared because I didn’t tell her what was going to happen at the top of the lift. Twisting over to do the drop was amazing like on Stealth, as was the overbanked turn, and the loop is just one of the greatest elements on any ride. This thing was just as rough as Stealth, while neither are too rough, I was just surprised that this one
was as rough as Stealth, because it is so new.
However, there is nothing quite like putting your arms out and just flying. I love these things. (Just fix the height requirements...B&M, I’m talking to you!) 9.5/10.
Coaster #89- Minderaser. In a very lonely corner of the park stands Minderaser. I now know why these things are called hang and bangs. Kong and Serial Thriller were both pretty smooth, Kong being fairly enjoyable. Here, this is not the case. This thing shook so much I thought it was going to derail. It was just plain uncomfortable. This one needs some major overhaul. I think the GP agrees, as it was a plain walk-on. 3/10.
Coaster #90- Two Face:The Flip Side. Here’s the disappointing part. Finally another ride my brother can go on. The ride op waits until he gets to the train, and tells him he’s too tall to ride. I know that there is no maximum height for these things, so I protest. “It says at the front entrance that you have to be less than 78 inches to ride” says the op. No, it doesn’t, but my brother doesn’t want to fight, so he politely exits. I was fuming. While we ride, my brother reads the sign at the front entrance and finds that nowhere on there does it say there is a
maximum height limit. What a brainless ride op, he doesn’t even know the requirements for the ride he’s operating. This event really made the mood among our group, which was already pretty low, even more angry. However, the ride was fun, just like invertigo. Better than a boomerang, and definitely added excitement comes from facing other riders. 7/10.
Overall, great coasters, but I was prevented from having more than just a moderately fun day. Seeing my brother sit on a bench while we climb the lift of SROS is not a memory I want in my head for long. It’s just plain sad. I for one am sick and tired of NEW rides having maximum height limits. My brother says, “I don’t care if old rides have maximum height limits, it’s just when rides built in the last 10 years (or 2 years in this case) have them.” To which I respond, “No old rides even have them! Only rides built in the last 6 years have them! Wild One was built in 1917, and you can go on that!” Something really needs to happen here. Companies are just designing rides poorly, and stuff like this happens. I can’t even be excited for a new
Intamin at Knott’s, because I am terrified that I might not even get to ride it, or, even more likely, my brother won’t get to ride it! What’s going on here? I thought Intamin was supposed to be the cutting edge of technology? Apparently Arrow, the Dinn Corparation, and even Zierer are even more cutting edge in some aspects. Give me a break. They make tremendously good rides, but they have to fix this problem before I become a serious Intamin fan.
Anyway, good day, fun rides, but it was really hot. I hope the next thing they build is something my brother can ride.
Coaster Count:
Roar 3
Superman: Ride of Steel 2
Wild One 2
Joker’s Jinx 2
Minderaser 1
Batwing 1
Two Face: The flip-side 1
*** This post was edited by saviourmachine on 8/9/2001. ***
that was a pretty good report. I'm sorry that you or your brother couldn't get on all of the rides that you wanted to but hey what can you really do.That is kinda stupid for the ride op to say that 2 face has a max.height restriction,as far as I know it doesn't.is S:ROS still running?And if so is it running 2 trains?
Boy that is a bummer about the max. height limit. That's been adressed on Coasterbuzz before. I believe the max height limit on S:ROS is actually because of the first helix. This is the part where everyone tends to put there hands down, because it looks like the support for the top of the helix will chop their hands off. I've only experienced the grey-out on the first helix twice and I've ridden it probably 200 hundred times. I've talked to other enthusiast who've never experienced it. One of the times can be contributed to dehydration. I'm glad you liked S:ROS so much though. As for Wild One, that ride has never been a speed demon for loading/unloading. Maybe next year...
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Batwing-Bow Down
Whats the height limit on ROS? And are Roar's trains roomy? How tall is your brother? My brother is 6'8! I want him to ride ROS.
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Sorry, the maximum height limit is 6'6". I am that height, so I barely fit in. Roar's trains are (I think) standard PTC's, which you can find on numerous wooden coasters all over, and my 6'11" brother fit on it just fine.
saviourmachine said:
"Sorry, the maximum height limit is 6'6". I am that height, so I barely fit in. Roar's trains are (I think) standard PTC's, which you can find on numerous wooden coasters all over, and my 6'11" brother fit on it just fine."
6'11"? How does your brother fit on any ride at that height? I am 6'2" and my knees hug alot of the coasters I have ridden.
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Chitowns 6 year old daughter says "Daddy, Dippin Dots are nasty!!" I must say that I agree!!
He has a special way of crossing his ankles, which I do too, and this makes his knees stick out considerably less. He can seriously fit on anything he tries to get on, except Flight of Fear and the Mindbedner at West Edmonton Mall.
My uncle is about the same height (6'11"), and has the same ankle crossing technique.
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